They spent the next two days exploring the city, and when they weren’t catching a game at Fenway, wandering through the Museum of Fine Arts, strolling the Common, or bar hopping, they were exploring each other.
When it came time for her to return to work, she reluctantly pushed herself out of Julian’s arms. He tried to grab her back, but she grinned as she playfully slapped his hands away. Julian grumbled a complaint as he dropped his head onto the pillow and draped his arm over his eyes.
She couldn’t help smiling at his messy hair and boyish appearance. Yesterday, she’d sat on the sink with her legs around his waist and watched while he shaved his beard to expose a jaw that could cut glass.
The decision to shave came after she asked him what he looked like without the beard. Clean-shaven, he was as handsome, but he lacked the air of mystery the beard lent him. She liked the new look, but she missed the scrape of his stubble on her skin.
“I have rent to pay,” she reminded him.
“It’s your birthday. Let me convince your landlord you’ve paid for the year,” he said.
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Buzzkill.” He grinned as he lifted his arm to peek at her.
“Damn right.” She ran her fingers over the stubble already shadowing his jaw as she bent to kiss him. “Are you going to shave again?”
“Do you want me to?”
“No,” she said. “I like it when your beard scratches my skin. It’s like you’re leaving another mark on me.”
Hunger bloomed in his eyes as they fell to her throat. He’d closed the marks he left on her neck and they’d already healed, but the ones on her breasts and thighs were still visible. They excited her every time she saw them, and thinking about them aroused her. She pulled away before his offer to mind bend her landlord became too good to turn down.
“I have to shower,” she said.
“Is that an invite?”
“Absolutely not. You’ll make me dirtier.”
He gave her a devilish grin. “You know it.”
Aida shook her head before rising to gather her clothes. The bruises on her throat were mostly faded, and concealer hid the rest, but she still took a turtleneck with her. She showered and dressed before returning to her room, where she discovered Julian clothed and sitting on the end of her bed.
“I’ll walk you to work,” he said as he rose.
She didn’t bother to tell him he didn’t have to do that; he would insist, and she liked the idea of spending a few more minutes with him. Aida retrieved her purse from the top of her bureau. She checked to make sure she had her knife and pepper spray before slinging it over her shoulder and leaving the room. Julian followed her into the living room where Kyle was watching a cartoon while Cassidy sat cross-legged on the couch beside him with her laptop on her knees.
“Hello, lovebirds,” Kyle said without taking his eyes off the TV.
“Happy birthday!” Cassidy exclaimed. She set her computer on the floor and rushed over to envelop Aida in a big hug.
Aida hugged her back while Kyle tore his attention away from the TV and rose to come over and hug her too. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you,” Aida said.
“You’re going to come in tonight, right?” Cassidy asked her as Kyle stepped away and returned to the couch.
Cassidy had a thing where she sang “Happy Birthday” to the unsuspecting birthday souls when someone requested it. Some of them got a husky, Marilyn Monroe version; others got a more upbeat almost pop version, and some a jazz number. Aida suspected Cassidy had come up with something original for her tonight.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Aida said.
“Good.” Cassidy hugged her again before turning to Julian. “Mom called earlier; she wants to know when you’re going to visit.”
“Soon,” Julian said.
Cassidy rolled her eyes before retreating to the couch. “She’s going to want a more exact timeframe, or she’s going to show up here.”
“Don’t let that happen,” Kyle said. “I love her but the last time she was here, she spent a whole day cleaning the place; it wasn’t dirty.”
“She didn’t know what else to do with herself,” Cassidy said. “We’re her youngest, and she wasn’t ready for us to fly the nest.”
“Eh,” Kyle grunted. “Just call her and let her know when you’ll be there, so she doesn’t come here. It doesn’t make you a hit with the ladies when your clothes smell like lavender and your mom is hanging out at the bar telling everyone how you used to call your penis Mr. Winky.”
Aida almost choked on her laughter. “Did you really do that?”
“It only has one eye,” Kyle replied defensively and scowled at the three of them when they roared with laughter. “Go ahead and laugh, but I have a ton of dirt on the two of you too.”
Julian and Cassidy tried to choke back their laughter, but Aida didn’t bother. “Oh, please… do… share,” she got out between her chuckles.
“Maybe some other time,” Julian said as he looped his arm through hers and pulled her toward the door.
“What about Mom?” Kyle called after them.
“I’ll call her in a little bit,” Julian promised.
“Good and, Aida?”
“Yeah?” she asked him over her shoulder.
“Julian once tried to catch a football in gym when he got tackled from behind. He and the other kid skidded into the bleachers where Julian faceplanted into the lap of the girl’s gym teacher. She yelled at him for five minutes while he turned as red as a tomato and fumbled out apologies. The whole school called him Crotch Face for the rest of the year.”
“You’re an asshole,” Julian said over Aida’s laughter. He opened the door and steered her into the hall before his brother could reveal any more. “I’ll be back soon.”
He closed the door and walked with her down the stairs and out the front door. When they stepped onto the busy sidewalk, Aida tilted her head back to take in the warmth of the sun. It was a glorious day to be alive.
“So, Crotch Face, huh?” she asked as she looped her arm through Julian’s and leaned against his side.
“They were an imaginative group of students.”
Aida laughed as she rested her head against his arm. As they walked, she felt like they were all alone in the world, even as people flowed around them. They arrived at the gallery far too soon; she pulled her keys from her purse as her phone started ringing. Digging into her purse, she found her phone and pulled it out to reveal her sister’s name on the screen.
“It’s Mollie,” she said to Julian. “I have to take this.”
He kissed her. “Have a good day.”
“You too. I love you.”
He squeezed her hand and released her. “I love you too.”